# Sharon Farrell
**Sharon Farrell** (birth name Sharon Lee Forsmoe; December 24, 1940 – May 15, 2023) was an American film and television actress and dancer whose career ran from 1959 to 2014. She was best known for the horror film *It's Alive* (1974), supporting roles in *Marlowe* and *The Reivers* (both 1969), a recurring role as Detective Lori Wilson on the final season of *Hawaii Five-O*, and a six-year run as Florence Webster on the soap opera *The Young and the Restless*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/sharon-farrell) • [2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | December 24, 1940, Sioux City, Iowa, as Sharon Lee Forsmoe[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/) |
| Died | May 15, 2023, Orange County, California, of natural causes, at age 82[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) |
| Film debut | *Kiss Her Goodbye* (1959)[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/sharon-farrell) |
| Signature film roles | Orfamay Quest in *Marlowe* (1969); Lenore in *It's Alive* (1974); roles in *The Stunt Man*, *Out of the Blue* (both 1980), *Night of the Comet* (1984), and *Can't Buy Me Love* (1987)[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [5](https://www.tvline.com/news/sharon-farrell-dies-cause-of-death-young-and-the-restless-flo-webster-dead-1235023786/) |
| Television roles | Polly Holloran on *Saints and Sinners* (1962); Detective Lori Wilson on *Hawaii Five-O*; Florence Webster on *The Young and the Restless* (1991–1997)[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) |
| Health setback | Suffered an embolism during childbirth in 1970, causing brain damage; she concealed the effects and kept working[3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless) |
| Final screen credit | Two episodes of the web series *Broken at Love* (2013–2014)[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/63016/sharon-farrell) |
## Early life and dance training
Farrell was born in [Sioux City, Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/sioux-city-iowa), and began studying dance at age seven.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/) • [9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) She spent three summers in her teen years with Denver's American Ballet Theater, and before she was out of her teens had made many appearances with the American Ballet Company.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/) • [9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) Her musical comedy debut came at 17 in a Denver production of *Oklahoma!*, and touring with the American Ballet Theatre Company brought her to New York City.[9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/63016/sharon-farrell)
After the New York children's theater she joined went out of business, she worked briefly as a model and entered beauty contests before turning to screen acting.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/)
## Film career
Farrell made her film debut at 18 in the low-budget psychological thriller *Kiss Her Goodbye* (1959), which also featured [Elaine Stritch](https://www.edgepedia.org/elaine-stritch).[7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) Early film work included *40 Pounds of Trouble* (1962) with [Tony Curtis](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-curtis) and [Suzanne Pleshette](https://www.edgepedia.org/suzanne-pleshette), *A Lovely Way to Die* (1968) with Kirk Douglas, and the neo-noir *Marlowe* (1969).[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/sharon-farrell) • [7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) In *Marlowe*, her character, a Kansas woman named Orfamay Quest, hires private eye Philip Marlowe, played by James Garner, to find her brother.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html)
**1969 breakthrough.** The same year she played the love interest of [Steve McQueen](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-mcqueen)'s Boon Hogganbeck in *The Reivers*, Mark Rydell's adaptation of the [William Faulkner](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-faulkner) novel, which was nominated for an Oscar; despite her several years of experience she was voted "most promising newcomer" for that film.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/)
In the 1970s she moved into more television movies and horror roles, starring as Lenore Davis, mother of a murderous infant, in Larry Cohen's *It's Alive* (1974).[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [5](https://www.tvline.com/news/sharon-farrell-dies-cause-of-death-young-and-the-restless-flo-webster-dead-1235023786/) In 1980 she had supporting parts in two well-received films, [Dennis Hopper](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-hopper)'s drama *Out of the Blue* and [Richard Rush](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-rush)'s Golden Globe-winning *The Stunt Man*, in which she played a movie hairstylist opposite [Peter O'Toole](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-otoole)'s Oscar-nominated performance.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) Her 1980s credits included *Lone Wolf McQuade* (1983), as the ex-wife of Chuck Norris's Texas Ranger, *Night of the Comet* (1984), and *Can't Buy Me Love* (1987), in which she played the mother of Amanda Peterson's character Cindy Mancini.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless) On Rotten Tomatoes' aggregation of her filmography, *Out of the Blue* is her highest-rated film at 95 percent and *Can't Buy Me Love* her lowest at 48 percent.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sharon_farrell)
## Television career
Farrell's career began on television in 1959 and took off three years later when she landed the recurring role of Polly Holloran on *Saints and Sinners* (1962).[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) Through the 1960s she guest-starred on network programs including *Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre*, *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.*, *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour*, *The Wild Wild West*, *Wagon Train*, *Gunsmoke*, and *Dr. Kildare*; her 1965 *Alfred Hitchcock Hour* episode "Final Performance" was widely admired.[9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/)
**Hawaii Five-O.** Farrell played Detective Lori Wilson, wife of a [Honolulu Police Department](https://www.edgepedia.org/honolulu-police-department) officer killed in the line of duty, on the original *Hawaii Five-O*. [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter) obituary places her on the show's 12th and final season (1979–80), while other profiles describe the run as lasting from 1977 to 1980; Legacy.com counts 14 episodes.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless) She later said that working with the show's lead, [Jack Lord](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-lord), was often difficult, calling him vindictive and cruel and noting that he could keep actors from working at CBS.[11](https://www.thewrap.com/sharon-farrell-its-alive-young-and-the-restless-obituary-hawaii-five-o/)
**The Young and the Restless.** From 1991 to 1997 she played Florence "Flo" Webster, mother of Nina Webster (Tricia Cast), on the CBS soap opera *The Young and the Restless*, appearing in more than 80 episodes.[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/sharon-farrell-dies-cause-of-death-young-and-the-restless-flo-webster-dead-1235023786/) • [7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) Her character arrived in Genoa City to live with her daughter, worked as a part-time prostitute, and was tricked into marrying her daughter's ex-husband, the con artist David Kimble, in a marriage later invalidated.[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/sharon-farrell-dies-cause-of-death-young-and-the-restless-flo-webster-dead-1235023786/) In the 1990s she was also seen as a regular on *Matlock*.[9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/)
## The 1970 health crisis
Farrell's career was interrupted in 1970, when she suffered an embolism while giving birth to her only son, the future actor Chance Boyer; one account states her heart stopped for four minutes during childbirth, leaving her with brain damage that made it nearly impossible for her to read, write, or memorize.[3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless) • [9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) Steve McQueen suggested she keep the illness a secret, and she worked privately to regain her memory and mobility, returning to acting in the early 1970s with a workload that grew as her recovery progressed.[3](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless) • [9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) The films for which she is most remembered, including *It's Alive*, *Lone Wolf McQuade*, *Night of the Comet*, and *Can't Buy Me Love*, all came after this episode.[7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/)
## Later years and death
Farrell largely retired from acting after the 1990s; her last starring role was as Ma Samuals in the 1995 drama *A Gift from Heaven*, and she returned for two episodes of the web series *Broken at Love* (2013–2014), her final credit.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/) • [7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/63016/sharon-farrell) In 2013 she published a memoir, *"Hollywood Princess" from Sioux City Iowa*, and later appeared at autograph shows.[7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/)
She died unexpectedly on May 15, 2023, of natural causes, at a hospital in [Orange County, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/orange-county-california), at age 82; her son confirmed the death, which was not widely reported at the time, and her sister Dale Candice Forsmoe shared the news on Facebook in August 2023.[2](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html) • [11](https://www.thewrap.com/sharon-farrell-its-alive-young-and-the-restless-obituary-hawaii-five-o/)
## Personal life
IMDb lists five husbands: [Andrew Prine](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrew-prine) (1962–1963), Ron De Blasio (1965–1969), John Boyer (1969–1972, one child), Steve Salkin (1973–1975), and Dale Trevillion (1975–2006), and notes she was married at least six times.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/) Her son told The Hollywood Reporter, however, that his mother was never legally married.[7](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/) Her second husband, writer Dale Trevillion, whom she met on the set of *The Premonition* (1976), is named in one profile as her second husband, though IMDb dates the Trevillion marriage to 1975.[9](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/)
## References
1. [Sharon Farrell, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/sharon-farrell)
2. [Sharon Farrell, Actress in 'It's Alive,' 'Marlowe' and 'The Reivers,' Dies at 82, The Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sharon-farrell-actress-alive-marlowe-201503070.html)
3. [Sharon Farrell (1940–2023), actress on The Young and the Restless, Legacy.com](https://www.legacy.com/news/sharon-farrell-1940-2023-actress-on-the-young-and-the-restless)
4. [Sharon Farrell Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268331/bio/)
5. [Young And The Restless' Sharon Farrell Dead At 82, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/sharon-farrell-dies-cause-of-death-young-and-the-restless-flo-webster-dead-1235023786/)
6. [Sharon Farrell, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/sharon-farrell/)
7. [Sharon Farrell, 'It's Alive,' 'Night of the Comet' Actress, Dead at 82, Extra](https://extratv.com/2023/08/04/sharon-farrell-obituary/)
8. [Sharon Farrell, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/63016/sharon-farrell)
9. [Sharon Farrell TV Schedule, Movies & Shows, On TV Tonight](https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/cast/15736431/sharon-farrell/)
10. [Sharon Farrell, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/sharon_farrell)
11. [Sharon Farrell, 'It's Alive' and 'Young and the Restless' Actress, Dies at 82, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/sharon-farrell-its-alive-young-and-the-restless-obituary-hawaii-five-o/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames F to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license